Dry is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter and musician PJ Harvey, released on Too Pure Records on 30 March 1992.[5] The album was recorded at The Icehouse, a local studio in Yeovil, United Kingdom. The first 5000 LPs and first 1000 CDs included demo versions of the album's tracks and Dry was subsequently released in the United States on Indigo Records in the US. Both versions were released in 1992.
Background
Speaking to Filter magazine in 2004, Harvey said of her debut album: "Dry is the first chance I ever had to make a record and I thought it would be my last. So, I put everything I had into it. It was a very extreme record. It was a great joy for me to be able to make it. I never thought I'd have that opportunity, so I felt like I had to get everything on it as well as I possibly could, because it was probably my only chance. It felt very extreme for that reason."
Reception
Upon its release, Dry received positive critical acclaim. Former Village Voice editor and Pazz & Jop journalist Robert Christgau described the album as an "essential feminist distinction between egoist bullroar and honest irrational outpouring--and of course by her postrockist guitar, where she starts to reinvent her instrument the way grrrl-punks reinvent their form," rating the album an A-.[15] According to Variety, the album was "not so much stripped-down rock as it is flayed-alive rock". MTV described it as "a dark, twisted, arresting work which sounds both rubbed red raw and invigorating", while the NME praised it as "a crossover point possessing natural songwriting and scorching guitar noise" in its 9/10 review. Around the time of the album’s release, Harvey attracted some controversy for posing topless, with her back to the camera and baring an unshaven armpit, on the cover of NME. Received as well in the States as the UK, the album prompted Rolling Stone magazine to name the then-22-year-old Harvey the year's Best Songwriter and Best New Female Singer. In spite of the acclaim, "Sheela-Na-Gig" was the only single to chart in the US, at #9 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.[16]
Accolades
In a 1993 critics' poll of the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time, NME ranked Dry at number 71, and in a similar poll conducted by Melody Maker in 2000, the album was placed at number 86. It was on Kurt Cobain's 50 greatest albums list.[17][18][19] It is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by PJ Harvey except where noted.
| 1. |
"Oh My Lover" |
3:57 |
| 2. |
"O Stella" |
2:36 |
| 3. |
"Dress" (Harvey, Rob Ellis) |
3:16 |
| 4. |
"Victory" |
3:16 |
| 5. |
"Happy and Bleeding" (Harvey, Ellis) |
4:50 |
| 6. |
"Sheela-Na-Gig" |
3:11 |
| 7. |
"Hair" |
3:45 |
| 8. |
"Joe" (Harvey, Ellis) |
2:33 |
| 9. |
"Plants and Rags" (Harvey, Ellis) |
4:09 |
| 10. |
"Fountain" |
3:52 |
| 11. |
"Water" |
4:32 |
|
Total length:
|
39:54 |
- Limited edition[20] Demonstration bonus tracks
| 12. |
"Oh My Lover" (demo version, 1991) |
2:30 |
| 13. |
"O Stella" (demo version, 1991) |
3:16 |
| 14. |
"Dress" (demo version, 1991) |
3:17 |
| 15. |
"Victory" (demo version, 1991) |
4:19 |
| 16. |
"Happy and Bleeding" (demo version, 1991) |
4:44 |
| 17. |
"Sheela-Na-Gig" (demo version, 1991) |
3:15 |
| 18. |
"Hair" (demo version, 1991) |
3:37 |
| 19. |
"Joe" (demo version, 1991) |
3:16 |
| 20. |
"Plants and Rags" (demo version, 1991) |
3:32 |
| 21. |
"Fountain" (demo version, 1991) |
3:05 |
| 22. |
"Water" (demo version, 1991) |
4:32 |
|
Total length:
|
78:55 |
Personnel
All personnel credits adapted from Dry's liner notes.[21]
- PJ Harvey Trio
- Additional musicians
- Ben Groenevelt – double bass (3)
- Mike Paine – guitar (9)
- Chas Dickie – cello (9)
- Technical personnel
- Head – producer, engineer, mixing
- Vernon – producer (3, 5)
- Art personnel
Chart positions
References
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- ↑ Dry - PJ Harvey > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles at AllMusic. Retrieved 27 July 2005.
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. N.B. User must either enter "PJ Harvey" into Search, select "Artist" from Search by and click Go or "Dry" into Search, select "Title" from Search by and click Go.
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